Tracking the market and economic trends that shape your finances.

Gold, silver rocket as recession fears deepen

September 2, 2011 | 2:15
pm

Gold and silver zoomed again Friday, ignoring strength in the dollar, as the dismal U.S. jobs report for August drove some investors back into haven-seeking mode.

Near-term gold futures in New York closed with a gain of $47.70, or 2.6%, to $1,873.70 an ounce. It was the metal’s biggest one-day advance since early August, and left it just 0.8% below the record closing high of $1,888.70 set on Aug. 22.

Silver also rocketed, rising $1.54, or 3.7%, to $43.02 an ounce. Silver remains below its 30-year high of $48.58 reached on April 29.

The government’s report that the economy created no net new jobs last month stoked fears that recession is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, after the global market turmoil in August. With stocks crumbling worldwide Friday, gold and silver attracted frightened money, just as they did for much of last month.

“This economy is in real trouble,” said Matt Zeman, a market strategist at Kingsview Financial in Chicago. What’s more, even though the Federal Reserve is expected to try another rescue by aiming to pull long-term interest rates lower, falling rates could help the case for gold by making bond yields less attractive as an alternative investment.